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(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 1.

A. I. PARSONS', Decd. H. F. PARSONS, Administrator. AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

No. 898,418. Patente Jan. 22.1888.

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Attorney,

N. PETERS. Phulwlmmgmplwr. washingxon. D. c.

(No Model.) l 2 sheets-sheen 2.

A; I. PARSONS, Decd.

H. F. PARSONS, Administrator. AUTOMATICv RAILWAY SWITCH.

No. 396,418. Patented Jan. 22,' 1889.

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UNITE STATES ATENT FFICE.

A. IN GRAM PARSONS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI; II. F. PARSONS (ADMIN- ISTRATOR OF SAID A. INGRAM PARSONS, DEOEASED) ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO TI-IE PARSONS BLOCK, SVITOH AND FROG COMPANY, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC RAI LWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 396,418, dated January 22, 1889.

Application led March 11, 1886. Renewed October 4, 1888. Serial No. 287,259. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

B'e it known that I, A. INGRAM PARsoNs, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Railway-Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to switch mechanism for railways, to be operated by the engineer from his cab on a moving train.

The invention, briefly stated, comprises, as an essential element, a switch-lever that stands locked and is connected by rods to a series of operating-levers, which are actuated by an approaching train to place the switch in the desired position, and by the same train as it recedes or passes to restore the switch to its normal position, all as I will now proceed to set forth and claim.

In the accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure l is a plan of a portion of a main track and siding equipped with my switch. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic and exaggerated side elevation of the switch-operat ing mechanism in one position, and Fig. 2X a similar view in the reverse position. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an engine-cab and part of my switch mechanism, and Figs. et, 5, and G details to be referred to.

The main track A, siding B, and switchrails O may be of usual construction and arrangement; The switch-bar a is connected to a lever, b, which latter pivoted at c in a suitable bracket, (I, supported in any appropriate manner. The short arm of this lever I) is made as a segmental worm-gear, e, which is engaged by a worm-shaft, f, journaled in the bracket d. (See details in the plan and elevation, Figs. 4 and 5, respectively.) This worm-shaft, in the example shown, has a crank-arm, g, which is connected to an endless rod, chain, cable, or rope, or equivalent medium, 7L; but the connection may be other than a crank-arm-for example, chains connected to drums on the worm-shaft in opposite directions and connected oppositely to the endless| rod-any connector being available which will rotate the shaft in opposite directions by opposite movements of the endless rod. This endless rod h, so called, may consist of two rods connected at their ends by chains or other flexible mediums passing over pulleys l' t', whereby said rods are allowed freedom of endwise movelnent.

Suitable brackets are erected on one or both sides of the track to receive levers j, which normally stand up, and which are made with segmental, eccentric, or cam-shaped lower ends, lc, grooved to receive chains or other flexible mediums, l, to connect them to one or the other member of the endless rod 71,. (See details in side and edge views, Fig. 6.) To the rod hare connected, by a reversing or double-acting medium, the visual signals m, such medium being here shown as two chains,

a, leading from opposite points on the bary and oppositely wound on drums o on the sig `nal-staff, so that the operation of the switch actuates the signals.

A number of switch-leversJ, are arranged at each approach to the switch and some distance from it. Some are connected to the endless rod so as to act to set the switch for the siding, and others to set it for the main track, and these levers may be designated by any arbitrary sign, as by different colors or shapes. The operation of one lever of one kind operates all of that kindin the same direction and reverses all those of the other kind, and hence puts them in position to be acted upon to reverse the operation of the other. Thus, if the switch be set for the siding by an approaching train, the proper lever is acted upon-that is to say, it is leveledwhile the oppositely-acting levers are raised up.

Now, if it be desired to set the switch for the main track after the train passes to a siding, these lastnamed levers are in position to be acted upon to effect this object.- It will be seen that by proper location of the levers a train can be run from the main track to a siding byits engineer operating the switch from his cab, as will presently appear, and he can then restore the switch or set it for the main ltrack for another passing train, which last i named train ,having passed, the switched-oft train on the siding can set the track for itself to pass to thev main track, and, having so passed, can again set the switch for the main track.

Referring to the diagram, Fig. 2, it will be assumed that a train is about to go from the io main track to the siding in the direction ot' arrow Qc. Either ot the levers 2, i, or (i may be engag'ed to eiiect the necessary movement ot' the switch for this purpose. Suppose lever i2 is positively engaged to this end; then ,it will depress positively the levers 2, et, and

6, and by slacking the connection ot' the levers 7 and lO with the operating medium 7L permit gravity or a spring to act to cause them to follow. lt will be observed that ihese zo several levers 2, 4, (i, 7, and l0 positively engage the operating medium 7L to move it in one direction only, and when thus operated (the dotted arcs designating the direction of movement of each and all oli' the levers) all 2 5 the other levers will assume the contrary positionf-that is to say, the lever El will be pulled up, the lever 5 will likewise be pulled up, and s0 also will the two levers S and l) be positively elevated. rlhis position of parts is indicated 3o in 2X. The connections of all the levers with the operating medium 71` is now positive. The train on the siding or the train 'followii1g, and which is to pass on the main track, may reset the switch so as to leave a continuous 3 5 main track. lf this be done by the train on` the siding', the lever 9 will be operated, and if by the train following, then the lever 5 will be operated, and `in either case the levers 5, 5, 8, and 9 will all go down, the lirst, 3, by its 4o slack connection, allowing gravity or a sprin to act and in descending take up the slack, 5 by positive movement, and S and 9 by gravity, while the levers 2, 4, (i, 7, and l0 will be elevated by positive movement of the operating medium 7L. This then restores the levers to the position shown in Fig. 2, and provision must be made for getting the switched-off train back on the main track. As the switch mechanism will be duplicated at both ends of 5o the siding, it is obvious the train may be run o'lt ahead; but if it have to back onto the main track from the siding, then the switch may be reversed by operating lever 7, and again reversed to open the main track by backing on the lever 3.

In every operation ofthe switch the parts are positively held and locked by the wormgearing.

A safety-lever, p, is arranged on the side ot 6o the track opposite the lcversj and connected by a rod or shaft, q, to one ot' such levers, j, to operate to always set the switch Afor the main track. This safetydever will be located some distance from the switch, so that at night or in fogs the engineer may operate this lever and rest assured that he is all right as to the switch. The rod-operating levers are so connected with it that they act upon it in one direction only, and il depressed in the opposite direction they are ineffectual, as will readily appear.

The means 'for operating the `switeh-levers consists ot' a horizontal bar, r, suitably suspended beneath the cngineers cab and provided with an operating-lever, s, pivoted in the cab, and having a treadle, t, orhand-lever u, or both, tor operating it to throw it outlat erally either sident the track to engage the levers, as clearly shown in Fig. $5.

The levers, rods, and worin-gearing maybe boxed in or otherwise suitably secured from damage or tampering.

A hand-lever, Q1, Fig. 5, may bc employed ["or operating the switch manually.

I have thus set forth one simple and efficient means ol' practicingmy invention. Obviously the details are susceptible ot' variation.

\\'hat I claim isl. A railway-switch comprising a switchbar, a worm-geared operating-lever, a wormshaii't meshing therewith, all arranged at the side ot the track, an endless bar, chain, cable, or the like, and vertical levers connected thereto to move it in opposite directions, and means,substantially as described, for actuating said vertical levers to rotate said wormshal't, and thereby actuate the worm-geared lever and simultaneously lock it, and consequently the switch, in desired position, substantially as set forth.

2. A railway-switcli-operating mechanism comprising an endless rod, chain, cable, rope, or the like, n'iounted upon pulleys, a series of vertical levers to move said rod in either of two directions, and a switch-lever having a wormgear, and a worm-shaft connected to said rod, and all arranged at the side of the track, combined with signals connected to said endless rod and operated by the operating oit the switch, substantially as set forth.

The combination ot the endless rod or its described equivalent and a series of ver- IOO IIO

tical levers ltlexibly connected in order to the upper and lower members of said rod, with a switch mechanism comprising a switch-bar, a worm-geared segmental lever connected thereto, and a worm-shaft' t connected to and rot-ated by the movement ol' the said rod, the whole arranged parallel to the rails, substantially as described.

4. A switeh-opcrating mechanism co1nprising a switclbbar and rails, as usual, and two series of alternately rising and falling or reversing levers connected with the switch-bar, and each by its operation in one way causing the other to operate in the reverse direction, thereby always to present for use one or the other series of levers, substantially as described.

5. A switch-bar and a locking mechanism' ing medium, combined with series of rising` In testimony whereof I have hereunto set and falling levers connected with said opermy hand this 9th day of March, A. D. 1880. ating medium and arranged to Work in series,

A. U Ah R ONS. so as to insure the presentation of one or the I\` GR I PA S other series in operative position for revers- \Vit11esses:

ing jche last movement of l[he swi'feh, substan- HARRY Y. DAVIS,

tially as described. EDWIN A. FINCKEL. 

